The Nintendo Entertainment System was the first post-crash gaming console to be released in the United States. The system was launched with 18 games in select markets in October of 1985, with a full national release in June of the following year. The system was available in 2 flavors. The “Control Deck” set came bundled with two controllers and a copy of Super Mario Bros, while the more expensive “Deluxe Set” included a “Zapper” light gun and “R.O.B.” the robot, along with the games Duck Hunt and Gyromite. Numerous franchises still being produced today, including Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Castlevania, The Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy originated on the NES, as did Nintendo Power magazine. The last licensed game was released in 1994 and the system was officially discontinued the following year, giving the system a 10 year life span in North America. Selling over 60 million units worldwide, the NES was a staple of the Generation X childhood and is generally credited with reinvigorating the home console market.
Episode 32 – This week on the show, we take a look back at Ghosts ‘N Goblins on the NES, after covering Ghouls ‘N Ghosts on last week’s “Genesis in 1989” retrospective. This game has always been famous for its unforgiving difficulty, but is a classic Capcom arcade title that is absolutely worth playing anyway.
When I was a kid, the T&C Surf Designs T-shirts were a must-have part of any kid’s wardrobe and featured several characters created by artist Steve Nazar, including Thrilla Gorilla, Kool Kat, Tiki Man, and Joe Cool. Although the company for whom these characters were created still exists making surfboards in Hawaii, the iconic characters … Read more
Episode 15 – This week on the show, I review Clu Clu Land for the Nintendo Entertainment system, which was a 1985 launch title. An under-appreciated action/puzzle game that is definitely worth checking out.
Episode 13 – This week on the show, I review Tecmo Bowl and Tecmo Super Bowl on the NES, which are both classics that you undoubtedly played if you grew up in the 80’s. I also take a look at Tecmo Super Bowl 2014 from the good folks at TecmoBowl.org, which gives you the same … Read more
Don’t let the Disney afternoon cartoon license fool you, Rescue Rangers isn’t just some easily-dismissed kiddie game. It’s a reasonably challenging (although not too hard) platform game based on a show that anyone who grew up with the NES probably also grew up watching. You can play as either Chip or Dale (and from what … Read more
Not to be confused with the vastly-different Baseball Stars II on the Neo-Geo, this NES title is the lesser-known follow up to one of the greatest baseball games known to humankind. As was the case with a lot of great NES games, Baseball Stars II didn’t get a lot of ink back in its day, … Read more
My childhood memories of playing baseball games on the Nintendo are dominated by Bases Loaded with its TV-style presentation, RBI Baseball, and the horrible and unimaginatively-titled Baseball. Although I never played it (or even remember hearing about it) back then, in the time since the NES has faded into obsolescence Baseball Stars has risen above … Read more
Contra is a game that should need no introduction. This classic side-scrolling shooter was in such demand when it was released that stores could scarcely keep it in stock. The game hails from a time when seemingly every pseudo-military themed action game had to feature a main character who was some sort of Rambo variant. … Read more
This classic side-scrolling space shooter was one of the first on the NES and is easily one of the best games on the system. What makes Gradius unique is the custom power-up system that it uses. Rather than just giving you an upgraded weapon or shield, the power-ups that you collect can be used to … Read more
Probably the most famous thing about Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf is the title. Fighting Golf? Was that meant to trick someone into buying this game thinking that it was the sequel to the Atari 7800 classic Ninja Golf? Now that game was fighting golf. Lee Trevino’s Fighting Golf is definitely one of the better golf … Read more
This, the first version of Tetris on the NES, was pulled off of the shelves only 1 month after it’s debut and is therefore one of the rarest NES games released by a major publisher. Atari had licensed the game from British software publisher Mirrorsoft, who themselves had been granted a home console license from … Read more
As the game that kicked Tengen’s Tetris” The Soviet Mind Game off of the shelves, Nintendo’s Tetris had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately, and perhaps because they had a monopoly on the market, Nintendo chose to release a decent but entirely unimpressive port of Alexei Pahjitnov’s classic puzzle game. Gone are the head-to-head … Read more
Track & Field is a home port of the 1983 arcade game of the same name. Although the original arcade game never gained much notoriety, the release of the game on the NES popularized the series and spawned numerous sequels on multiple platforms. Track & Field features 8 events; the 100-meter dash, long jump, 110-meter … Read more
Duck Hunt was not only a launch title, but was a pack-in game if you purchased the “NES Action Set”, where the game was bundled on a single cartridge with Super Mario Bros. Although less common, the game was also released as a stand-alone retail cartridge. Duck Hunt has 3 game modes, each requiring the … Read more
Released 6 years after its predecessor, the simply-titled “Golf”, NES Open Tournament Golf was the second golf game released by Nintendo for the NES. The game features three courses; US, Japan, and the UK, and has three game modes; stroke play, match play, and a tournament mode. You can also practice single holes to tighten … Read more
During the NES era, two game companies released Ms. Pac-Man cartridges. The game was available from Tengen as one of their easily recognizable black unlicensed carts, while Namco released this licensed version. While the Tengen version included some upgrades in the form of extra mazes and new gameplay options, this release is a straight port … Read more
Vegas Dream is a casino-style gambling game featuring 4 games; blackjack, roulette, keno, and a slot machine. You start off the game with $700, but various events in the game aside from the outcome of gambling itself have an effect on your cash flow. Every so often during the game, you are interrupted by someone … Read more
Golf was one of four completely forgettable sports titles released with the launch of the NES. The game can either be played single player, or 2-player in stroke or match play format. The game features only one course, but it is a full 18 holes and the holes are varied enough to keep the game … Read more
Gun.Smoke is a pretty unique game in that it has all of the game play mechanics of a vertically-scrolling shooter, but you don’t fly a plane or a space ship. You play the role of a wild west vigilante who kills the leaders of various groups of bandits who have been harassing the town of … Read more